2.09 Scheduling Events During Final Examinations

The Educational Policies Commission recognizes that the University's primary focus is the curricular program. Moreover, the Commission believes that the University should resist any event or activity which interferes with its primary function.

The Commission also recognizes that campus co- and extra-curricular activities, although of secondary importance, can enrich and re-enforce the instructional program. Students are, and should be, encouraged to become involved in the co- and extra-curricular activities.

On occasion, the schedule of co- and extra-curricular events conflicts with the schedule of curricular work. Usually the students and instructors involved reach an accommodation to resolve such conflicts. The conflict in these schedules poses serious problems, however, when they occur during the final examination period. The University has not yet developed adequate policy to resolve them. As a step in the development of such policy the Educational Policies Commission makes the following recommendations after having consulted with interested parties on the campus.

General Policy

Events/activities requiring student participation shall not be scheduled during the established final examination period.

Chapter 2: Administrative Policies

Contingent Policy

  1. Events/activities requiring student participation on or off the campus, which are routinely scheduled by external organizations/groups with which the University affiliates but the dates of which cannot be established by UNI personnel, may be recognized by the Vice-President for Academic Affairs or that officer's designee as a legitimate conflict with final examinations, and students so involved shall be permitted to reschedule the examination in conflict.
  2. All university personnel who anticipate events which may conflict with final examinations must register those events with the office of the Vice-President for Academic Affairs. Examples of events which might be appropriate for recognition include CPA certification examination, NCAA and Conference athletic events, forensic contests, music festivals, presentations at professional meetings, etc.
  3. Faculty members are empowered to re-schedule a final examination for a student involved in an event/activity where an approved conflict occurs.
  4. Students are responsible to notify their instructor(s) of prospective conflicts with final examinations as much in advance of the examination as practical. Early notification should be provided even if the conflict is potential rather than definite. Students are responsible to arrange with the instructor to re-schedule the examination.
  5. Unresolved disagreement between student and instructor relative to the re-scheduling of a final examination when an approved conflict occurs, or disagreement concerning what events constitute a legitimate conflict of schedule, may be brought to the Vice-President for Academic Affairs or that officer's designee for final resolution.
  6. Administrative units involved with approved conflicting events may expect to share in the responsibility for the administration of alternative examinations.
     

UNI Faculty Senate, approved February 1985